Big 12 Media Days dispatch: Kingsbury knows he has to do more to improve the Red Raiders

[caption id="attachment_17971" align="alignright" width="350"] Photo by Ashley Wirz[/caption] Kliff Kingsbury may be the most dapper man in the room at Big 12 media days, and while that will shock no one, you could feel the swagger that he carried with him when he stepped to the podium. However, this is a team that is coming off a 5-7 (3-6) record. This has put coach Kingsbury on the “hot seat” by many pundits, and that doesn't often pair well with swagger. Yes, the offense almost never skips a beat (Patrick Mahomes led the FBS in passing offense last year), but the defense ranked 128^th in total defense in 2016. Kingsbury is well aware of how bad the defense was last year. He also realizes there is no easy fix for it. One of the fixes that he does see is bringing back defensive coordinator David Gibbs. “We have the same defensive coordinator for the first time at Texas Tech in a long time. He has been able to bring in players that fit his scheme," Kingsbury said. "He’s been able to bring in coaches that he’s comfortable with. So I expect to see us be improved.” Another issue with the defense has been its youth. “We played a lot of young players on the defense last year, and I’m hoping those snaps pay dividends going into this year,” Kingsbury said. Getting Dakota Allen back was also a huge deal for the program. It shores up the linebacker position for Tech with last year's breakout freshman, Jordyn Brooks. Allen’s impact may be more than just on the field. “He’s a leader for us already in our locker room. He can tell those young guys about the mistake he made, about what he went through, and about how good they have it," Kingsbury said. For his part, in an effort to strike a more winning balance, Kingsbury has changed his mindset this year. “I have been trying to be more involved in all aspects of the program. Not just saying, 'hey, we’re going to outscore everybody. We’re going to have a great quarterback. We’re going to score a bunch of points,'" he said. "But having an impact on special teams, strength and conditioning, defense, recruiting." On offense, Kingsbury is replacing a top-10 draft pick at quarterback in Mahomes. Tech’s offense has gone through a number of quarterbacks and each has gone on to be prolific. Nic Shimonek should be no different. He got several reps when Mahomes went down with a shoulder injury against Kansas and looked very good. “He got some good, meaningful time in the games last year and played really well, and this spring, he had a tremendous spring. With this supporting cast around him, we expect him to play at a high level," Kingsbury said.